The In's and Out's of Fine Art Printing.

Written by Baylor Meche

At Mindzai, our high quality fine art prints are achieved through a process using lightfast inks on acid-free paper. The result is a print that will stand the test of time and present your artwork in the best light possible. For those of you who’ve ever wondered how this process works, here’s a rundown of what goes on behind the scenes. 

First and foremost, it’s crucial to provide us with the highest quality scan of your artwork possible. We prefer a 300 dpi TIFF file in an RGB format, other options are PDFs and PNGs but ALWAYS make sure you have a clean scan at 300dpi or higher.  If you’re having a hard time finding a local place to get a quality scan, don’t stress!  We have a top notch scanner, and your prints will probably come out better if we are in control of capturing the image(s) and color matching them.  Once a suitable file is submitted, our team will double check all the specs to make sure everything is correct. 

What paper should you use? 

To simplify the process we only stock two types of archival papers: one with texture and one without. Below are descriptions of both and the difference between them. 

Epson Hot Press Paper offers a smooth finish and is perfect for digital artists, illustrators, and photographers looking for a surface with minimal texture. 

Epson Cold Press Paper has a more textured, toothy finish that is ideal for tattooers, artists, and painters wanting more depth in their designs. 

We also carry Gallery Canvas and Photo Satin papers but those are typically used for photographers and contemporary artists… Most of our clients use the two Epson papers mentioned above.  We can also source any type of fine art paper on the market for an additional fee. In most cases the client is charged for the roll as well as the printing costs. If you require a special paper to print on, don’t hesitate to let us know. 

Whats the deal with color matching? 

We always print a small test print using our high-end photography monitor calibrated to ensure the display colors match those of our printer. Our team will review the proofs and make small adjustments in our best effort to achieve the the most accurate match possible. Clients can also pay to have additional time spent on their color matching.  Below are a few of the additional options available: 

Email Proof: We’ll color match your file and print a small proof of the artwork. You’ll receive an email with a picture of the proof for review. You can reply with edits or approval...Once approved we will get the order into production.  This process can take roughly two hours of additional work. 

Physical Proof: Same as above, however this time the proof print will be physically mailed to you for in person inspection. 

**Note** If you send in your original piece for scanning this will cut down on color matching time and the photos of your proofs will be emailed side by side to the original. 

What printer do we use? 

The Epson Sure Color P9000 is our printer of choice for fine art. Its precise print head and 10 color ink set is designed to turn out professional proofs each time. We use lightfast, archival inks for all of our fine art printing. Lightfastness of a color translates to how unaffected by light or permanent it is. With a combination of these inks and the paper mentioned above, your prints are sure to last a lifetime. 

Once printed, our team will professionally package and ship out your order. Fine art prints are timeless and your customers will be stoked to put them on their wall. 

Stay tuned for more articles like this one, and check out some of the other quality printing Mindzai is known for.